Main hoist halyard

My main sail hoist Halyard snapped after one season of use. It appears to have rusted where the wire enters the rope and stop. Hobie replaced at no cost but the new one has also started to rust. Anyone else had this problem?

No, bummer dude. I bought a Getaway that sat 300 yards away from Galveston Bay for two years, and was coated with salt grime. The halyard was left exposed and there's a lot more UV damage than rust. Maybe spray the nut with cold galvanization?

I'll try that. Had tried dry lubricant but didn't work. Mine is exposed to salt air also. I'm also getting rust bleeding from all screws which are fasteners in the hulls. Must be a low quality stainless.

I really am amazed that these halyards only last a season or so, mine made it through 18 months before rust rotting apart. I guess the use of galvanized steel wire and NOT stainless has something to do with it, but either way having to buy new ones every season and a half is goofy. I have use of two H16's and they have old halyards that seem to have held up very well. Must be a profit item for Hobie, huh?!

The halyard wires are stainless not galvanized.

The connection at the swedge it subject to a bending load and failure. The failure rate is not consistant. Some last the life of the boat, so I would assume some differences in how they are handled, hardware sharp edges maybe differences in tension while sailing. The halyard line should be just tight enough to keep against the mast. The downhaul should be snug. This would keep the swedge tight against the lock fork. If you over tension the halyard and under tension the downhaul, perhaps the swedge is moving around in the hook or something.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

mmiller, I do not think I have ever had a stainless steel line rust out like that. My halyard broke at 1" from the small stop at the yoke or clevis end. It is not from anything other than rusted out wire.

Second, I have never seen stainless rust before I got this Getaway! From side bolts to transom screws. You're Q&A people need to be replaced if this continues through the years. I have a few 16's and none of them have this problem.

Actually, rust has been an issue for as long as I can remember and I got my first Hobie in 1976. Most of what we see is not the material breaking down, but a surface contaminant that is rusting off.

There are many grades of stainless. The more carbon in the stainless, the harder it is and less shiny. You see that in cutlery. Stainless is soft and cannot hold an edge. Carbon is stiffer, but discolors.

Most of the rust stains seems to come from fasteners. Carbon tooling leaves residue on the threads. That residue rusts away.

I wrote a FAQ on the subject: http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=1513

We had some bad halyard cable some time back that was something like galvanized steel and not stainless. This was caught very quickly. Maybe that is what some of this was?

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

mmiller, I am sure I got some of that bad batch. I have had to go buy a new one and it looks different for sure.

Also I do understand the stainless steel chemistry and understand the rust issue on the bolts. So for the time I own this getaway, I'll keep spraying the rust remover and hope the insides don't rust away.

The rust you see isn't neceassarily from your fasteners or from the stainless Parts. Its from the cutting tools used to make the parts. They are a high carbon steel (there are many different alloys but all contain lots of carbon). The tools ear when they cut and leave some of themselves in the stainless. You needn't worry about your fasteners corroding away due to this.

_________________
Nick

Current Boat
In the market
Previous boats owned
'74 Pearson 30
'84 H16
'82 H18 Magnum
St. Louis, MO